Summary – Hunter arrives in Widows Vale with his mentor Ciaran MacEwan. There he meets his half brother Cal and his girlfriend Morgan, whom he feels strangely drawn to, and is sucked into a cat and mouse game that has played between Ciaran and Selene Belltower for years and on top of it all he is reunited with his cousin Sky who is a Seeker for the International Council of Witches and has been hunting him down for years.
Disclaimer: These are all Cate Tiernans toys. They're just in my playground.
A/N: Hey all, only a few more chapters left I promise and I am trying to get them all out as soon as possible! This story will be finished FINALLY before the end of this year. Please read, review and enjoy x
Ciaran's promise sent chills down my spine. After all I had betrayed him. I knew all too well what he did to traitors and I knew that sometimes death was a mercy.
At least I knew he wouldn't try anything now with Morgan here, he would never get close to her if she witnessed what he had in store for me.
"I don't think you'll be dealing with anyone later," we were both surprised by Sky's voice as she chained Ciaran's wrists in a braigh, "Ciaran MacEwan, you have broken the laws set by the council, used dark magick and have committed unspeakable acts of terror, death and destruction."
She was out for so long Ciaran had forgotten about her, hell, even I had forgotten she was in there with us. No wonder she managed to creep up on us. She covered him with the binding sigils I taught her.
Ciaran's eyes were burning with hatred, normally he'd break through that sigil as easily as ripping a wet tissue but the braigh was burning his skin and he appeared to be weighed down by the pain. I knew enough about braighs to know that the more sins you have committed the more it pains you, Ciaran must be experiencing something excruciating.
"The team the council sent have just arrived," Sky told me just as I felt their presence. There were at least 20 of them. Seven men then entered the circle room, and was shocked by the picture in front of them, Cal and Selene dead, Ciaran in a braigh.
"We'll strip him immediately," one man told Sky, "He's not slipping through our fingers again," the seven of them began working on the ritual as Sky led Morgan and I out. I didn't look back at my old mentor.
When we walked back through the house I could see the other members of the councils team weighing up what to do with the Amyranth members still sleeping, they all seemed impressed by our actions.
In the Kitchen, two members of the ICOW were questioning Killian quite harshly, one had a braigh in hand ready to arrest him.
"Woah! Hey!" Sky ran over to them before things got out of hand, "What are you doing?"
"This is Killian MacEwan, Ciaran's son, we were questioning him,"
"Put the braigh down, he helped us do all this. He is not loyal to his father." Sky assured them, they were happy with Sky's word and then began to help with the preparations. Killian nodded in appreciation to Sky.
"I tried telling them that I'd tell them anything they wanted to know and they came at me with that thing!" he said pointing at the braigh.
Killian watched me assisting Morgan with great interest, like he was seeing her with new eyes. But now was not the time to be introducing her to family members she didn't know she had. I made a note to speak to him soon so I sent him a quick message, Soon, I promise, the time is not right.
Morgan just looked confused and exhausted, I led her upstairs to my bedroom and found some old sweats and a t-shirt, "Here," I said handing them to her, "my bathroom is just through that door, have a bath or take a shower, whatever you want, then take a nap, you look beat,"
Morgan nodded slowly, the weight of the day hanging heavy on her. "I'll be right here if you need me, I'll go make you something to eat,"
"I don't think I can stomach anything right now," she croaked
"Perhaps not," I agreed, "But you need to try, you've been heavily drugged and spelled today, it will help," I pulled out a can of ginger ale from the mini fridge in my room and poured the contents into a clean glass, and placed it on my dresser, "please try to drink this, it should help settle your stomach,"
I left her to her thoughts and headed downstairs. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, two gurneys with black zipped up body bag's crossed my path as they were carried out to the council's coroner . My brother was in one of those, and the worst thing was I didn't know how to feel about that, but I didn't have time to think about it right now, I needed to be here and strong for Morgan. Once my path was clear I moved on. I could feel the thrum of magick in the air as the council were performing the ritual to strip Ciaran's powers, and from what I could see, the rest of the Amyranth coven had already been taken away. Sky was waiting for me in the kitchen.
"How is she?" she asked
"It's hard to tell, she's not saying much, but my guess, not good." I sucked in a breath, I remembered about her adopted parents and what happened last time she was late home, I pulled out the phone book and looked up Morgan's home phone number and handed it to Sky. "Could you please call Morgan's parents, we don't want them worrying again, it'll probably sound better coming from a female,"
"Of course," Sky picked up the phone and dialled, "Hi, is that Mrs Rowlands?" she asked, "I'm Morgan's friend, Sky, from school, she had some really bad news today and she came to me in need of a friend..." I tried to listen in to her mum's side of the conversation, "Well, I'm afraid it's quite bad, Morgan found out Cal that passed away this afternoon in a car accident and she's taken it really hard,"
Sky was good, I never would have thought to have mentioned Cal, he was a valid, plausible excuse and will give us plenty of time for Morgan to rest up, "Honestly, I don't wish to worry you but I'm not exactly sure how she is at the minute, Mrs Rowlands, I know she's taking it really hard though, but I've made sure she's eaten, she's asleep right now in my bed," again I tried to listen in, "I'll make sure she calls you soon, try not to worry too much, I'll take good care of her, she needs a little TLC right now but she'll be okay... ... yes, okay, I will, I promise... ... you're welcome... ... yes, okay, good bye," she hung up the phone
"Thank you," I said
"There are some things we need to discuss," she said quietly, but urgently, "my mentor, Patrick, will be here shortly expecting a full report and they're going to need to know about you, up until now, everyone believed you were dead or missing, and there's going to be a lot of questions about how and why you were here with Ciaran, even though it was all the work of the Taibhs, there's no guarantee that the council will be so understanding. I'll do anything in my power to protect you from being taken into custody or worse, being stripped. What would you like me to tell them?" she asked
"Nothing," I said, "I'll tell them everything, taibhs or not, I deserve a punishment for the crimes I committed, Goddess knows, but not today. Morgan needs me." Sky nodded
"They want to speak to her too," she said, "Not just about what happened here, but they're intrigued about her power, her heritage,"
"No," I said firmly, "She's been through enough for one lifetime, they need to leave her alone, I'll answer any questions they have,"
"Okay," she said, "Hopefully the rest of council will be able to clear things up here soon and take Ciaran away from here, but there is a small team going through Ciaran's things and his library seizing anything relating to seriously dark practises. I've told them to stay clear of your room as Morgan's in there,"
"Take it all, I want it gone, there has been too much darkness around me for far too long," I replied
"I'm so glad to have you back, dear cousin," she pulled me into a tight hug, "how do you feel now?" she asked, I knew she was referring to the Taibh's no longer being a part of me
"Like a weight has been lifted off my heart and soul. At least Selene did one good thing," I smiled, "I can't remember that last time I felt such clarity."
"Good," Sky smiled, "Right, let me crack on, I'll try to get these council goons out of your hair as quickly as possible,"
"Of course," I said, "And Sky, thank you,"